Executive Summary

eMarketer estimates that US adults will spend an average of 12 hours, 1 minute per day using major media in 2017, an increase of 2 minutes over 2016. While growth in time spent is leveling off, traditional media continues to cede time to digital formats.

Time spent with digital media (which includes desktop/laptop, nonvoice mobile and other connected devices) will total 5 hours, 53 minutes this year—or 48.9% of US adults’ average daily time with media. Nonvoice mobile time will be responsible for 3 hours, 17 minutes, while desktop/laptop will contribute 2 hours, 3 minutes and other connected devices 33 minutes.

Television still accounts for a large part of US adults’ media day, with 3 hours, 58 minutes devoted to viewing TV content. However, total time is declining: Daily time with TV is 7 minutes below its 2016 average—the first time below 4 hours a day—and total time is expected to fall to 3 hours, 47 minutes by 2019.

Daily time spent with digital video will total 1 hour, 17 minutes in 2017, of which mobile devices will account for 33 minutes and desktop/laptop will contribute 24 minutes. Other connected devices (which include digital streaming on connected TVs, over-the-top [OTT] video devices and gaming consoles) will make up 19 minutes of video viewing time.

The amount of time individuals spend with social networks continues to increase, especially with the proliferation of newer platforms like Instagram and Snapchat. In 2017, US adults will average 51 minutes of daily time with social networks, of which 8 minutes will be spent on Instagram and 6 minutes on Snapchat.

Advertisers’ budgets closely reflect that of consumer time spent with media, especially in terms of TV and digital. This year, digital will account for 42.9% of ad budgets (excluding directories and out-of-home) and 50.4% of daily time spent (excluding offline video gaming, cinema and out-of-home). Mobile will receive 30.2% of ad spend and 28.1% of time spent.

"US adults will spend nearly half of their media day consuming digital content. More than half of time spent with digital will occur via a mobile device."